The Marlins have not landed a big-time free agent hitter since signing Carlos Delgado before the 2005 season.

December 3, 2011|By Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel

Three players. Three stadium tours. Three lunches at Joe's Stone Crab. And at least three contract offers.

That was all early last month. Another player, left-hander C.J. Wilson, would later receive the same red-carpet treatment from these new freewheeling Miami Marlins.

The Winter Meetings start Monday in Dallas and the Marlins have yet to sign Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes or Albert Pujols. Earlier this week, they did consummate a substantial agreement with closer Heath Bell, who wasn't linked to them until just before agreeing to terms.

Negotiations with free agents can prove a painstaking ballet full of potential show-stalling moves. A perfect example: Carlos Delgado, the last big-time free agent the Marlins signed. Getting to that four-year, $52 million contract from the initial phone call President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest made to David Sloane, Delgado's Coral Springs-based representative, wasn't easy.

According to ESPN's rankings, Delgado was the sixth-best free agent available before the 2005 season. He didn't sign until Jan. 25. To help illustrate why some of these deals take so long to craft, Sloane offered his blow-by-blow account of how Delgado became a Marlin.

Delgado's priority was joining a contender and staying at first base rather than transition to DH. As he studied the landscape with Sloane, Delgado lamented that the Marlins could not afford him. He believed they had good enough pitching for a postseason run.

At the end of the Blue Jays' exclusivity window, Delgado fielded a sad offer from them. He was fresh off a $17 million per year contract. The Blue Jays tossed him a two-year bid totaling about $12 million.

"They made a contract offer they knew he would never accept," Sloane said.

Among those in the market along with Delgado that offseason: Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson. Sloane's strategy was to wait.

"We had to recognize the reality that Carlos among position players was probably not the top ranked guy," Sloane said. "Our best shot was waiting to see who signed Beltran and then going to one of the teams that probably didn't sign him because it would be more likely they would have the kind of money we were looking for. We knew we weren't going to get $17 million, but we knew we weren't going to end up with $6 million either."

At the Winter Meetings, Delgado met with the Mets, Orioles, briefly with the Rangers, and the Mariners, the most aggressive team early on. Delgado ruled them out because he didn't feel they possessed the arms to compete.

The Winter Meetings ended and Sloane had not heard from the Marlins. About 10 days later, he got a call from Beinfest.

"I honestly didn't really think they were doing anything other than bottom fishing," Sloane said. "My perception was they thought they could get Carlos cheap because no one had signed him yet. He was going to continue falling and they would be able to get him for a song."

Sloane met the Marlins' brass at Sun Life Stadium before Christmas. A few days later, the Marlins submitted a three-year offer for about $36 million. On Jan. 15, the Marlins gave Delgado the Joe's Stone Crab treatment. About a dozen members of the organization were there, including owner Jeffrey Loria.

The following week, Delgado and Sloane met with the Rangers and Mets in Puerto Rico. The Mets came in at four years, $40 million and the Rangers offered $8 million more over the same term. Their condition: Delgado had a day to decide.

Sloane urged them not to attach a deadline. They didn't budge and the offer expired before Delgado could even formally reject it. In addition to the Mets and Rangers, Delgado by this point had identified the Orioles and Marlins as finalists.

"Carlos really liked the idea of playing for the Rangers," Sloane said.

Sloane had difficulty getting the Orioles engaged, but they ultimately came in with the same four-year, $48 million deal as the Rangers. That didn't make sense for Delgado, considering Maryland's state income tax lessened the value.

Sloane believed he could get the Rangers back to the table, but Delgado's was put off with the ultimatum.

"By that point, the Texas offer was gone," Sloane said. "Baltimore was dragging their feet like nobody's business. The Mets, Carlos did not perceive them as being as competitive as quickly as any of the other teams. Also, the Mets kind of shot themselves in the foot. They gave Pedro and Beltran blanket no-trades and wouldn't give it to Carlos."

Instead, they offered Delgado a limited no-trade. Coupled with the lower average annual value of his contract compared to those of Beltran and Martinez, Delgado felt slighted.

"That was one of those things that allowed the Marlins to swoop in and snag him," Sloane said.

Once reports surfaced that talks between the Rangers and Delgado had gone south, the Marlins requested another meeting. Sloane met Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill at Legal Sea Foods in Sawgrass Mills.

"They basically said they could make a very competitive offer," said Sloane, adding that on his way to the restaurant the Rangers called to say they would re-initiate discussions if Delgado would DH, which Sloane dismissed outright.

The Marlins' proposal was in line with what the Rangers put on the table, but it had some issues. It did not include a no-trade provision and was back-loaded. Both were red flags for Sloane. To protect his client, Sloane told the Marlins they would have to increase the offer and include a unique clause that would allowed Delgado to recoup money he'd lose if traded to a team subject to state income tax.

Said Sloane: "It took a little bit of adjusting the language here and there to get that worked out, but once they agreed and upped package to $52 million, Carlos became a Marlin."